Student halls ‘could be shut if virus cases keep soaring’

UNIVERSITY halls of residence could be closed completely if coronavirus cases continue to soar.

Further Education Minister Richard Lochhead said the option of shutting student accommodation has not been ruled out.

His comments came as the number of students having to self-isolate due to Covid-19 outbreaks at universities continued to rise.

Yesterday, it was confirmed that 62 cases have been identified which are linked to Aberdeen University.

Nicola Sturgeon said she will consider allowing students to isolate for

‘There is nothing ruled out’

a period before being allowed to return home for Christmas.

It comes after UK Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced face-to-face teaching will finish early in English universities to allow any students having to self-isolate to return home for Christmas.

Asked on the BBC Scotland programme The Nine whether he will consider closing halls of residence since hundreds of students have tested positive and thousands are self-isolating, Mr Lochhead said: ‘There is nothing ruled out, of course. But we are not at that point yet because we are in constant discussions with our universities and with our student bodies, trade unions and so on.

‘But what is really important is we continue to give the opportunity to young people to have an education.’ The latest estimate suggests that 52 UK universities have had Covid cases so far this term – up by 12 since Monday.

Mr Williamson yesterday told the House of Commons that universities in England could move to online-only learning before term would usually end so that students in local Covid outbreaks would have time to isolate and still be able to travel home at Christmas.

Asked if she would take a similar approach, Miss Sturgeon said it is ‘an absolute priority’ that students can see their families at Christmas but similar decisions need to be made for the whole population.

Miss Sturgeon yesterday also admitted that draft guidance on student accommodation prepared on August 30 before term began was changed before the final version was published.

According to The Times, the August 30 guidance said: ‘Work and study that can be done remotely must be done so.’

However, the sentence was not included in final guidance published on September 1. Instead, universities were told they could ‘commence a phased return to on-campus learning as part of a blended model with some remote teaching’.

Miss Sturgeon stressed that the guidance ‘always envisaged there would be some face-toface teaching’.

The First Minister also said there is ‘no excuse’ for universities not to look after the welfare of students self-isolating in halls of residence.

Asked about the situation in Edinburgh University’s Pollock Halls where it was claimed students had been given inadequate or out-of-date food, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘There should be no situations in which students in that circumstance are not getting adequate provision of food and food that is out of date. There is no excuse.’

A university spokesman said: ‘Catering staff will provide three meals a day for all students living in university-provided accommodation.’

‘Food that is out of date’